


Artis Artisian Deserves a Damn Break

by LadygoldLoZ



Series: Wildcliff Vignettes and general musings [3]
Category: Trials and Trebuchets (Podcast)
Genre: Also late night Wildcliff mysteries, And Artis needs to be with his damn family!!, And an incredibly sassy Saltine, Artis is an incredibly sad boy and he has been through a lot, Artis just wants to protect his kids tbh, Because they keep running off and getting into Mischief, Enemies to not enemies at least, Featuring an incredibly tired Artis, Isathil roadtrip shenagains!, Lots of arguing btw, Saltine has also been through his fair share, There will be sadness in chapter two, They both just need hugs and hot chocolate, This is like an enemies to friends thing, and grief, baby steps, or i mean, thank u for coming to my ted talk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:33:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29970570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadygoldLoZ/pseuds/LadygoldLoZ
Summary: Spoilers for episodes 106- current, if very minor. Most of this is AU anyway, but the premise will make no sense if you're not caught up so please listen to this stellar podcast before reading my fics!In this fic I attempt to provide an explanation for what Artis is up to during the events of Trading Places! As is the norm with my fics it's technically canon compliant (except perhaps for some details about the greenhouse, attempting to understand how that mechanism works makes my brain hurt), but I'll bet that won't last very long!
Relationships: Aaltine & Headmaster Underbough, Artis Artisian & Aaltine, Artis Artisian & S W I M
Series: Wildcliff Vignettes and general musings [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1720909
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	Artis Artisian Deserves a Damn Break

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea why my brain wanted to make this. All I can blame it on is a restricted section conversation in which people were quite opposed to the idea of fanfic about Aaltine and Artis. Obviously, that meant I had to at least try, and from that wild soup of creative drive and probably sleep deprivation spawned this fic! 
> 
> On a brighter note- it's probably the most lighthearted content I've ever published, not that that says a whole lot.

Artis heard the steady thundering of his heartbeat as he ran. The gaping gateway to the Hall of Voyages met his eyes when he glanced behind him, as if mocking him in particular for letting this happen. He’d wanted a _normal_ research expedition. Hell, he felt fucking _owed_ one, after what happened last summer. He and his kids both. 

But no, due to what had to be the greatest dose of misfortune in the history of the Prime Material Plane, Artis Artisian was running down the hall _away_ from the Hall of Voyages. Mira and Integrity were, hopefully, already in Isathil and Serinepth and Winsler were Gods knew where. Not for the first time, Artis wished he’d have gone with them. Or- at the very least- asked where they were going. 

He knew very little about Aira Allaro. She was Integrity’s study buddy, but aside from an apparent unwillingness to indulge Integrity’s hugs, she was a mystery. Usually any conversation regarding partners was dominated by Mira’s complaints about _her_ study buddy. Artis had to admit he didn’t know a lot about Murundeen Purebone either, but he couldn’t help feeling a mild dislike for the dragonborn on sheer principle. 

He exhaled shakily, trying to gather his thoughts. There were only a few meters left of the corridor and once Artis reached the exit he’d have to make a choice. Turn right and enter the courtyard, or left towards the classrooms. Where would he hide, if he were a scared student? 

No, that wasn’t quite right. Where would Winsler Wallaby and Serinepth Sinderman think to look for a scared student? Artis’s head was starting to spin and he suspected it wasn’t only from fatigue. 

Right or Left?

Winsler would undoubtedly be drawn to the courtyard, but Serinepth would most likely prefer the calm and quiet of an empty classroom. Which one of them would convince the other first? Would-

**_Crash!_ **

Artis reflexively closed his eyes and when he opened them again he was met with dark, slightly chipped wooden flooring. A dull pain shot up his elbows and palms where he’d braced himself as he fell. Artis furrowed his brow, feeling rather like a cat doused in cold water. 

Before he could wonder further a harsh muttering snapped him out of his thoughts. Artis curiously lifted his head, mentally preparing an apology for the poor soul he’d unwittingly knocked over, when his eyes fixated on pale yellow hair and _oh damn it all._

Artis immediately dropped his head back onto the floor with a dull thud as Aaltine staggered to his feet with a surprising amount of grace for someone who was face down on wooden tile not 10 seconds prior. 

”Artisian!” Aaltine hissed with fury comparable to a raging wildfire. Artis reluctantly rolled over onto his back, meeting furious blue eyes with a blank stare. He knew he needed to get back up, get rid of Aaltine and continue searching but his limbs felt heavy and dull like lead and Artis couldn’t do much but watch as his thoughts swam in a disoriented mess. 

”You’re _supposed_ to be on a research expedition,” Aaltine continued, arms crossed and seemingly not at all worried about shouting at someone who was already lying down. ”Not- not running in the halls like a rowdy first-year! I demand you tell me what you’re doing.” 

A wave of anxiety spurred Artis into action at the words. He didn’t have time to lie here and feel sorry for himself, and he _certainly_ didn’t have time to answer Aaltine’s questions. Not to mention, Artis really didn’t like the intense look Aaltine was giving him. There was something intensely threatening about the man now, and Artis found himself wanting to stay as far away from it as he could get. Unfortunately, at the moment, that was a bit of an impossibility.   


”How do you know my schedule?” Artis asked, biting his lip as he slowly lifted his head. Right or left? It didn’t matter, just picking any would do so long as Aaltine left him alone. 

”I’m working on behalf of the council,” Aaltine said haughtily and Artis had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. He _really_ didn’t have the patience for this. ”Making sure you and your brats don’t get anyone _else_ hurt.” 

”By stalking me?” Artis couldn’t help retorting as he pushed himself up off the floor, avoiding Aaltine’s gaze. He supposed there was no use in inventing a meeting to be late for if Aaltine had done him the courtesy of memorizing his appointments. He deserved some credit, Artis thought bitterly. Not even he managed to remember most of his appointments. 

”By keeping an eye on matters of interest,” Aaltine said, subtly shifting to the right so he blocked Artis’ path. ”It’s in your best interest to be open and honest with me, you know.” He looked infuriatingly smug, and Artis wished he had Mira’s quick wit and quicker tounge. Clearly, getting rid of Aaltine would not be an easy task. 

”I’m flattered,” Artis said curtly. ”But your concern is unnecessary.” The choice of what direction to go had been made for him, as Aaltine now blocked the path to the classrooms. He quickly turned in the direction of chirping crickets and moonlight, hoping the other would take the hint. Aaltine was quick to fall into step with him as he walked.

Artis resolved to ignore him. 

—

”Artisian! Where are we going?” 

Artis’s lips pressed into a thin line and he stared resolutely forward. He turned right at the despairingly familiar corridor and started down the path to the courtyard without a word. Perhaps he’d missed something. Aaltine grumbled next to him and Artis felt every bitter word like a punch to his already fractured patience. He wanted so badly to be rid of the other, to finally get some peace to _think._ To remember if Serinepth or Winsler had mentioned anything about secret hiding spots or perhaps interdimensional portals he was unfamiliar with? He’d missed an ancient Snake God living beneath campus for the better part of 200 years, it was hardly a stretch to imagine. 

”If you’re just doing this to mess with me, then consider your days in the school’s employment numbered,” Aaltine complained for the umpteenth time as Artis scoffed. 

”I didn’t invite you along,” he snapped, fed up. They had just completed their fourth lap around campus, and Artis felt sick to his stomach with worry. He’d checked every building, every possible hiding spot he could think of. The only two researchers who were still up at this ungodly hour hadn’t seen anything.

”Yes, well, if you might deign to tell me who you’re _looking for-”_ Aaltine grumbled, stepping gingerly around a puddle of rainwater that he’d stepped in last lap. ”You know why I’m here- and you know you’re not getting rid of me.” Artis nodded sourly. He’d unfortunately realized that rather quickly. ”I don’t see why you can’t tell me. I know you’re looking for one of your brats.” 

Artis grimaced and shot Aaltine a glare. ”Don’t call them brats,” he snapped, completely out of patience for this mans snide comments. How he managed to keep a position as an assistant to someone as prickly as _Underbough_ , Artis would never know. 

”I’d say the word fits, considering they helped raze one of the greatest bastions of knowledge of Recorded History to the _ground-”_

_”_ They didn’t know about that!” Artis argued, coming to a stop in the middle of the courtyard and staring up at the crystal-speckled ceiling. He could feel hot tears of frustration prickle at the sides of his eyes as he considered the situation. 

The moon shone brightly overhead , and as the pale light reflected down from uncaring starlike fragments of rock, a dizzyingly worrying thought occurred to Artis. Wherever Winsler and Serinepth were, they might very well be impossible to track. 

”Are you done?” Aaltine asked impatiently, and suddenly Artis was filled to the brim with what could only be described as spiteful energy. ”Nope,” he said, and began walking again. His feet were beginning to hurt. 

—

On the sixth lap around the courtyard, Artis finally broke. 

”Serinepth and Winsler are missing,” he said, glaring at Aaltine who looked infuriatingly smug at finally getting his way. ”They went to look for another classmate of theirs, Aira Allaro. They were _supposed_ to be back before the portal closed but-”

”Quiet,” Aaltine said, brows furrowed in concentration. Artis’s eyes widened and he felt so enraged he actually stopped talking. At that moment no words could accurately describe how intensely he wished for Aaltine to disintegrate into a puddle of unpleasantly colored goo. He grimaced, probably a bad analogy considering recent occurrences. It felt astonishing that the Deeptar Situation had occurred less than a semester ago. To Artis, it might as well have been a century ago. 

Good lord, he needed a _break._

_”_ Alright,” Aaltine muttered, snapping Artis out of his thoughts. Oh yeah- he’s supposed to be furious with this guy. 

”Where do you get off first stalking me, then badgering me for an _hour_ about what I’m doing and then fucking _telling me to be quiet?”_ Artis snapped, glaring hatefully at Aaltine who, amazingly, seemed genuinely shocked by the outburst. Artis was willing to bet not a lot of people dared yell at the Headmasters Assistant. Too bad his patience was worn far too thin to care. 

”Are you done?” Aaltine asked after gathering himself. Artis responded with another furious glare, which Aaltine ignored. ”Now then.” Artis felt like punching a wall. ”If you’d stop looking at me like you plan on strangling me, it might interest you to know that I’ve studied tracking magic.” 

Artis blinked, startled out of his anger. ”Y-you have?” 

”Yes. I have.” The look of open condescension was almost enough for Artis to make good on the earlier alluded to strangling, but he pushed down his frustrations. If Aaltine could track Serinepth or Winsler, there might be a chance after all. A slim one, but Artis _had_ to try. 

”Then y-you could-” 

”Yes.” 

Artis distantly realized that Aaltine wasn’t going to make the suggestion himself. He swallowed down a grimace and sighed. As much as he’d rather take on Neska in one to one combat than ask Aaltine for a favor, he recognized that he was backed into a corner here. 

He wasn’t about to let _anything_ get in the way of finding Serinepth and Winsler. Artis wasn’t losing anyone else. 

”You could find them?” He asked carefully, biding time as he figured out how to get this over with in as painless a fashion as possible. 

”I could,” Aaltine confirmed, tone light like he was letting Artis know what he’d like for dinner. 

Artis cringed. ”Wh- What would it take?” He fought to keep the desperation out of his voice, though Artis had never been much of an actor. 

Aaltine smiled in a manner so cold it made Artis’s skin crawl. ”Nothing this time. I’ve been meaning to ask them a few questions myself.” 

Artis resolved to get Serinepth and Winsler and get the _hell_ away as soon as he could. For now though, he bit back his retort and nodded. 

Aaltine turned on his heel and began walking without another word, leaving Artis to hurry after him in a perfect mirror of their earlier dynamic. Oh joy. 

—

Aaltine’s tracking spell led them both to the greenhouses. 

Artis genuinely couldn't remember the last time he was here. He could admit to enjoying gardening from time to time, but he’d always thought that there was something a bit uncomfortable about the stuffy atmosphere of formal botany. 

For Artis, gardening was a decidedly messy affair. He enjoyed overgrown flowerbeds and lush vegetation, rarely pulling weeds from his garden if they weren't inhibiting regular plant growth. (Fidan always used to yell at him for that, which is why Artis hasn’t touched gardening tools in many years). Seeing the clinical manner the golems have ordered colorful chrysanthemums and aromatic salvia in neat little rows gave him a sense of unease that he couldn't quite shake as he followed Aaltine down the isles.

”Whoever watered in here seems to have missed the flowers,” Aaltine huffed, and it was only then that Artis noticed that the floor was covered in a thin layer of water, sloshing against the soles of his shoes as he walked. Looking up, Aaltine had come to a halt in front of what looked like a huge gazebo in the center of the building. The structure seemed terribly obstructive, not to mention gaudy with a massive birdbath statue on top. In a moment of gratifying pettiness Artis kicked the water hard enough to splatter the edge of Aaltine’s immaculately pressed pant leg as he came to a stop next to him. He immediately felt embarrassed because of his childish behavior, but luckily Aaltine seemed lost in thought. 

Artis looked around the greenhouse, unwilling to admit how unsettled he felt but hardly excited at the prospect of exploring the place himself. It’d be another second before Aaltine spoke up, and for the first time that night he didn’t sound rude or condescending. He just sounded plain confused. 

”This wasn’t here when I was here last.”

Artis furrowed his brow. ”What? When was that?” He couldn’t help think this gazebo- potentially the only part of the entire fucking campus Artis hadn’t searched yet- had something to do with his students disappearance. 

”Three days ago,” Aaltine said softly. 

Artis nodded to himself. ”We’d better figure out how the hell it got here then,” he said, taking a step forward. 

”Wh- that’s it?” Aaltine observed him quizzically. ”I tell you there's a new _building_ and you’re just going in?” 

Artis shrugged. How was he supposed to explain that after the Hatch, after Isathil and the Lizard Revolution and after _Neska-_

Well, buildings popping up here and there seemed like benign surprises after all of that. 

The answer was there was no good explanation, so Artis took a page out of Aaltine’s book and met his stare with a small smirk. 

”I’ve got two kids to find, and no time to waste,” he said shortly.

”Wait!” Aaltine blurted, causing Artis to pause. Aaltine gestured with one trembling arm down at the ground beneath the gazebo.

”The trail goes _down.”_

—

It took the Artis and Aaltine several excruciating minutes to figure out the trick to the Greenhouse Gazebo. It turned out there was a gear mechanism on the back of the statue on _top_ of the gazebo, which Artis spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to scale before Aaltine took pity on him and levitated the both of them up. 

Said mechanism could apparently control not only the gazebo, but also the surrounding flowerbeds which could be lowered into the ground or suspended in the air. Artis found himself fascinated, if a little confused as to the _purpose_ of such a mechanism. Still, he mused, as he maneuvered the gears to flood the greenhouses with water, he now knew why the floors were wet. There was a chance that Winsler and Serinepth had discovered the mechanism before him. 

After a complicated combination of gear movements, Artis felt the platform beneath him begin to sink. Elated, he let go of the gears and steadied himself on the birdhouse plinth as they descended. Aaltine remained blissfully quiet for the duration of the trip, keeping to himself on the opposite side of the statue and gazing lazily at the ground. Artis hoped fervently that it would be smooth sailing from here. He could find whatever was at the bottom of the greenhouse, get Winsler and Serinepth and make sure they were alright. He’d figure out how to get them to Isathil later- but if he got to them now and could persuade the new headmaster before Aaltine got in his way he could meet Mira and Integrity in Isathil as he’d promised. Hopefully. He trusted Dessa to keep an eye on them in the meantime. 

Yes, the plan was flimsier than wet parchment- but it was all Artis had. Anything was better than giving up, and Artis couldn’t let on to Aaltine that he didn’t actually know what he was doing. 

—

The gazebo elevator came to a halt with a dull thud, resonating in the long tunnel that Aaltine and Artis seemingly found themselves in. Artis wasted no time, practically dashing out into the hallway with the assumption that Aaltine would follow suit. After a moments hesitation, Artis could hear another pair of footsteps join the sound of his own against the stone floor.

They didn’t make it far before the tunnel expanded to a bigger room, mostly cloaked in shadow. Artis rushed right past piles of mechanics and dusty husks of former golems, but Aaltine stopped dead in his tracks. Artis stopped as well, first to snap at Aaltine to hurry up, though that plan was quickly abandoned. 

Standing near the southern edge of the room, among what might as well be called a golem graveyard, was Ari. 

Artis only knew what everyone knew about Ari the golem. They were Tol’s sibling, they were obsessed with gossip and they were a loyal worker up until the death of the headmaster. 

Artis, of course, knew that neither Ari nor the clockwork golems had anything to do with Underbough’s demise, but he’d never really stopped to consider the fact that most everyone else did. Seeing Ari hidden away in a dark, damp corner of campus was surreal in the worst possible way, and Artis felt his stomach tighten with guilt.

”Artisian,” Ari inclined their head in greeting. Their hauntingly robotic voice seemed almost to echo and amplify as it danced around the room. Artis nodded back, dumbstruck. 

”And Aaltine.” The voice took on a noticeably sharper tone as Ari inclined their head toward the entrance, and Artis could see Aaltine square his shoulders as he was addressed. 

”I’ve received many visitors today,” Ari said with a small shrug of their shoulders- and Artis’s heart soared. It _had_ to be Winsler and Serinepth. There was no other possible explanation. 

”You’re talking about Winsler and Serinepth?” Artis asked, taking a quick step forward. He knew he sounded desperate, but he honestly didn’t care anymore. He just wanted this hellish night to be over.”Where are they? Are they here still? Do you know if they’re okay-”

A pair of large gloved hands suddenly pressed down on Artis’s shoulders, stilling him and cutting him off mid question. 

”Peace, Artisian,” Ari’s voice rumbled above him. ”Your students left here some time ago.” Artis opened his mouth to ask where? when? But there was something in the way Ari’s featureless head regarded him that made him cut himself off. He felt, bizarrely, like he was being frowned at for speaking out of turn. 

”I admire your dedication to them,” Ari continued. ”You have done me no harm, and your goal is a noble one. I will not stop _you_.” The emphasis made Artis’s stomach sink, as Ari’s body turned to face Aaltine, who was still hiding in the doorway.

”Councilmember Aaltine. I did not kill Former Headmaster Underbough. You know this.” 

Aaltine mutedly shook his head, hands balled into fists at his sides. 

Ari sighed. ”You know this,” they repeated, almost frighteningly gentle. ”It is no matter. Even if I ask you for a favor in exchange for passage, I know you will not grant it. A request to reconsider is fruitless, this I now understand. I am tempted to disallow you passage,” Aaltine opened his mouth in indignation, but Ari raised a hand to stop his outburst. Amazingly- it worked. 

”However. I too am worried for Artisians children. They have promised to help me, and so I shall help them now. Isathil is a treacherous realm, and it is no place for students to wander unsupervised.” 

Ari’s other hand dropped from Artis’s shoulders and he found himself swaying slightly on his feet. He had trouble following what Ari was saying. Winsler and Serinepth- were in Isathil? How was that possible? 

”Continue through this hall, and you will find the way they travelled,” Ari explained, voice humming like the strings of a base as they gestured toward a door embedded in the southern wall. Artis didn’t have the energy to question anything more, so he just nodded.

”Thank you,” he said. ”I- I’ll find a way to pay you back once I’ve found them.”  


Ari inclined their head, but didn’t say anything else.

Artis could feel their unflinching gaze on his back as he hurried through the next set of doors only to see-

”What the hell is that?” Aaltine blurted from behind him. This time- Artis didn’t fault him for being confused. 

What appeared to lie before them was a normal room in every aspect but for one. As it happened, the one abnormality was that the room’s only door appeared to have grown from some dirt that littered the ground around the door. Actually, as Artis stepped closer, he realized that it was really more of an arc. Large, wooden vines burst from the ground and had been braided together to create the skeleton of an arc that reached about up to Artis’s chin. Sprouting from the side of the arc were more vines, these ones gathering together to form a half open door and a handle. 

  
”It- it appears to be a door,” Artis muttered, more to himself than anything. It was clear that it was _some_ kind of portal, but to where? And who could possibly have the magical knowhow to create such a thing? 

”Well yes,” Aaltine snapped. ”I see that much, Artisian.”  


In the midst of all the confusion and worry, Aaltines snarky commentary felt almost welcome. It was, at the very least, a familiar worry. 

”I meant, of course, why on Agiya’s green grasses would there be an _inter dimensional door_ underneath the greenhouses?” 

Artis didn’t have an answer. He did, however, have a plan of action. ”Winsler and Serinepth must have gone this way,” he said. He grabbed the doorhandle, feeling rough bark beneath his fingers as he tugged the door open. ”I’d advise you go back upstairs and head to bed, Aaltine.” 

He didn’t pause long enough to hear Aaltine’s rebuttal, if there was any. Artis took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold in one fell swoop.

—

The first thing Artis noticed as he opened his eyes after stepping through the door was the dark orange sky that loomed overhead. The world he found himself in was empty and flat, with walls and architecture that almost seemed fragile enough to bend if Artis were to touch them, though if the sturdiness of the ground beneath his feet were any indication, this appeared to be merely appearance. The corridor Artis found himself in contained numerous more doors, but before Artis had a chance to take a closer look at any of them, a thud from behind him caught his attention.

He turned just in time to see Aaltine close the door behind him. 

A myriad of emotions ran through Artis in that moment. Most prominently, irritation. Artis had put up with this man following him around for the better part of two hours and he was _sick_ of it. It didn’t help that Aaltine looked almost comically confused at stepping out of the door. He ran a hand through pale yellow hair gasped like he’d stepped out into dreamland. Which, as far as Artis was concerned, this might as well be. 

”What are you doing here?” Artis snapped, entirely unwilling to allow Aaltine to adjust to his environment. Artis hadn’t come here to sightsee. He was going to _find Winsler and Serinepth_ and he had this ominous feeling that his time was running out. 

”What do you mean?” Aaltine asked testily, as if only now realizing that Artis was also in the room. ”Investigating this _unauthorized portal_ , obviously.” He raised an eyebrow, daring Artis to object. 

Unluckily for him, Artis’s patience had been tried far past its limits. ” No you’re not. Go home and go to bed Aaltine, this is none of your business.”  


”Unauthorized intra-dimensional travel on _school grounds_ is _none of my business_ _?_ _”_ Aaltine asked, crossing his arms. ”The school that- might I remind you- is beholden to the council? No- if anyone shouldn’t be here, it’s you.” 

Artis sighed deeply. He wasn’t bringing Aaltine with him, but he didn’t have time to argue about it either. ”I’m just going to find Winsler and Serinepth,” he said. ”Surely you can investigate some other time.” _When I’m not here._

”Artis Artisian,” Aaltine said, voice lowering to a hiss. ”If you try to tell me what I can and cannot do _one more time_ I am reporting your unauthorized dimensional travel to the council.” 

Artis did pause at that. He didn’t doubt that Aaltine would go through with the threat, and Artis didn’t want to lose his job. Still, the logical part of Artis’s mind was far removed from the present situation, and he pushed the concerned away for later. 

”You’re not coming with me,” he said with finality, reaching for the door to open it and _force_ Aaltine back out if he had to. 

”You don’t tell me what to do!” Aaltine argued right back, throwing himself in between Artis and the door. Artis dodged, grabbing for the handle. If this escalated into a genuine magical duel he knew he’d be done for, but if he could push Aaltine through the door before he had the ability to cast any spells he might be able to get away. 

”I’ll tell the council that your brats are creating portals on school ground- a-and about their involvement in Nebulosis,” Aaltine threatened, and Artis felt something inside him grow cold at the threat. He grabbed at the door through Aaltines blockade and eventually managed to wrap one hand around the handle. Aaltine leaned his weight against the door in response, keeping Artis from opening it. 

  
”I know you’re all involved in Underbough’s death too!” He spat, glaring at Artis with wild eyes. ”Once I present my findings to the council it’s all over for you.”  
  
Artis grunted, pulling on the handle. He was barely even listening to Aaltine at this point. All his focus had gone toward wrenching that damned door open. Artis pulled and pulled, until he finally felt something give. 

Unfortunately for Artis, this _something_ wasn’t the closed door. Rather, it was the handle which he was currently holding. As well as large parts of the wall currently supporting said door. During their fight, large cracks had formed in the black material, and they were now rapidly spreading as Artis stumbled back, hands still wrapped tightly around the dislodged handle. Meanwhile, Aaltine took a confused step forward as what had once been a sturdy door now peeled away from the dark wall like a large and unwieldy sheet of paper. 

The handle slipped from Artis’s hands and gently floated down to the ground where it joined the other sheets of dark brown paper. 

For but a moment, Artis Artisian and Aaltine stared at one another in complete stunned silence. For the first time that night, they understood completely what the other was feeling.

Then the ceiling caved in. 


End file.
